Obama Talking About Mars Reminds Us Of Dave Chappelle

We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America's story in space: sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth, with the ultimate ambition to one day remain there for an extended time.

We put humans on the moon awhile ago at this point, so getting some peeps on Mars seems long overdue.

Not to mention, beyond the sheer nerdy awesomeness of the prospect of going to another planet, there are so many potential benefits from space exploration.

As the president put it,

One of my earliest memories is sitting on my grandfather's shoulders, waving a flag as our astronauts returned to Hawaii. This was years before we'd set foot on the moon. Decades before we'd land a rover on Mars. A generation before photos from the International Space Station would show up in our social media feeds.
I still have the same sense of wonder about our space program that I did as a child.
It represents an essential part of our character -- curiosity and exploration, innovation and ingenuity, pushing the boundaries of what's possible and doing it before anybody else.
The space race we won not only contributed immeasurably important technological and medical advances, but it also inspired a new generation of scientists and engineers with the right stuff to keep America on the cutting edge.